Memory Text: 1 Kings
3:14 KJV 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes
andmy commandments, as thy
father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.

Sabbath
Afternoon

Sunday

Deathbed
Admonition.

1 Kings 2:1-3 KJV 1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and
he chargedSolomon his son, saying, 2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou
strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; 3 And keep the charge of the LORD
thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments,
and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses,
that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest
thyself:

Deuteronomy 4:40 KJV 40 Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his
commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee,
and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon
the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.

Deuteronomy 6:2 KJV 2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all
his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son,
and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

Deuteronomy 6:17 KJV 17 Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the
LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded
thee.

Deuteronomy 7:11-12 KJV 11 Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and
the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.
12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and
keep, and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant
and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

1 Kings 2:3-4 KJV 3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his
ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and
his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper
in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

1 Kings 2:4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning
me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in
truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail
thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

Matthew 7:24-27 KJV 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon
a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,
and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not,
shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat
upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Matthew 13:41-42 KJV 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they
shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do
iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth.

Colossians 3:5-6 KJV 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the
earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence,
and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things' sake the wrath of
God cometh on the children of disobedience:

1 Peter 4:17 KJV 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the
house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them
that obey not the gospel of God?

1 John 2:4 KJV 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments,
is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Monday

Adonijah
Revisited.

1 Kings 2:13-25 KJV 13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba
the mother ofSolomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said,
Peaceably. 14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she
said, Say on. 15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and
that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom
is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD.
16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him,
Say on. 17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he
will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. 18
And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king. 19 Bathsheba
therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the
king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his
throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on
his right hand. 20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I
pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother:
for I will not say thee nay.

1 Kings 2:21-25 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah
thy brother to wife. 22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother,
And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the
kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar
the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah. 23 Then king Solomon sware by
the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken
this word against his own life. 24 Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which
hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who
hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this
day. 25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada;
and he fell upon him that he died.

1 Kings 2:22 KJV 22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And
why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom
also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest,
and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

1 Kings 2:15 KJV 15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine,
and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the
kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from
the LORD.

Tuesday

Abiathar,
Joab, And Shimei.

1 Kings 2:46 NKJV 46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and
he went out and struck him down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was established
in the hand of Solomon.

1 Kings 2:46 KJV 46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which
went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established
in the hand of Solomon.

1 Kings 2:8 KJV 8 And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera,
a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day
when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware
to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

1 Kings 2:28-34 KJV 28 Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after
Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle
of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 29 And it was told
king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold,
he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying,
Go, fall upon him. 30 And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and
said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will
die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab,
and thus he answered me.

1 Kings 2:31-34 And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall
upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which
Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. 32 And the LORD shall
return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous
and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing
thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and
Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. 33 Their blood shall
therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for
ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his
throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD. 34 So Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in
his own house in the wilderness.

1 Kings 2:26-27 KJV 26 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee
to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will
not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord
GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein
my father was afflicted. 27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest
unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake
concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

Ellen
G. White, Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, pp. 389390

After giving this charge to his son in the audience of the people, and in
the presence of God, he offers grateful thanks to God for disposing his own
heart, and the hearts of the people, to give willingly for the great work
of building. He also entreats the Lord to incline the heart of Solomon to
his commandments. He says, "I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart,
and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart
I have willingly offered all these things. And now have I seen with joy thy
people, which are present here to offer willingly unto thee. O Lord God of
Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination
of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto
thee. And give unto Solomon, my son, a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments,
thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build
the palace, for the which I have made provision." {1SP 389.1}

David's public labor was about to close. He
(p. 390) knew that he should soon die, and he does not leave his business
matters in confusion, to vex the soul of his son; but while hehas sufficient
physical and mental strength, he arranges the affairs of his kingdom, even
to the minutest matters, not forgetting to warn Solomon in regard to the
case of Shimei. He knew that the latter would cause trouble in the kingdom.
He was a dangerous man, of violent temper, and was kept in control only through
fear. Whenever he dared, he would cause rebellion, or, if he had a favorable
opportunity, would not hesitate to take the life of Solomon. {1SP 389.2}

David, in arranging his business, sets a good
example to all who are advanced in years, to settle their matters while they
are capable of doing so, that when they shall be drawing near to death, and
their mental faculties are dimmed, they shall have nothing of a worldly nature
to divert their minds from God. {1SP 390.1}

Chapter XXXV. - Solomon. The hearts of the people are turned toward Solomon,
as they were to David, and they obey him in all things. The Lord sends his
angel to instruct Solomon by a dream in the night season. He dreams that
God converses with him. "And God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon
said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David, my father, great mercy, according
as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in (p. 391)
uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness,
that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And
now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father;
and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in. And thy
servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people,
that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give, therefore, thy servant
an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good
and bad; for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? {1SP 390.2}

Wednesday

Solomon's
Dream.

1 Kings 3:6 KJV 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David
my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in
righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept
for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his
throne, as it is this day.

1 Kings 3:7-9 KJV 7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king
instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to
go out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which
thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for
multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy
people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge
this thy so great a people?

Daniel 4:30 KJV 30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that
I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for
the honour of my majesty?

1 Kings 3:5 NKJV 5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night;
and God said, "Ask! What shall I give you?"

1 Kings 3:5 KJV 5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night:
and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

Thursday

An
Understanding Heart.

1 Kings 3:9 NKJV 9 "Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart
to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is
able to judge this great people of Yours?"

1 Kings 3:9 KJV 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge
thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge
this thy so great a people?

Hebrews 5:14 KJV 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age,
even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both
good and evil.

Matthew 6:33 KJV 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you.

God promised that as He had been with David, so He would be with Solomon.
If the king would walk before the Lord in uprightness, if he would do what
God had commanded him, his throne would be established and his reign would
be the means of exalting Israel as "a wise and understanding people," the
light of the surrounding nations. Deuteronomy 4:6. {PK 30.1}

The language used by Solomon while praying
to God before the ancient altar at Gibeon reveals his humility and his strong
desire to honor God. He realized that without divine aid he was as helpless
as a little child to fulfill the responsibilities resting on him. He knew
that he lacked discernment, and it was a sense of his great need that led
him to seek God for wisdom. In his heart there was no selfish aspirations
for a knowledge that would exalt him above others. He desired to discharge
faithfully the duties devolving upon him, and he chose the gift that would
be the means of causing his reign to bring glory to God. Solomon was never
so rich or so wise or so truly great as when he confessed, "I am but a little
child: I know not how to go out or come in." {PK 30.2}

Those who today occupy positions of trust should
seek to learn the lesson taught by Solomon's prayer. The higher the position
a man occupies, the greater the responsibility that he has to bear, the wider
will be the influence that he exerts and the greater his need of dependence
on God. Ever should he remember that with the call to work comes the call
to walk circumspectly before his fellow men. He is to stand before God in
the attitude of a learner. Position does not give holiness of character.
It is by honoring God and (p. 31) obeying His commands that a man is made
truly great. {PK 30.3}

The God whom we serve is no respecter of persons.
He who gave to Solomon the spirit of wise discernment is willing to impart
the same blessing to His children today. "If any of you lack wisdom," His
word declares, "let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5. When a burden bearer
desires wisdom more than he desires wealth, power, or fame, he will not be
disappointed. Such a one will learn from the Great Teacher not only what
to do, but how to do it in a way that will meet with the divine approval.
{PK 31.1}

So long as he remains consecrated, the man
whom God has endowed with discernment and ability will not manifest an eagerness
for high position, neither will he seek to rule or control. Of necessity
men must bear responsibilities; but instead of striving for the supremacy,
he who is a true leader will pray for an understanding heart, to discern
between good and evil. {PK 31.2}

The path of men who are placed as leaders is
not an easy one. But they are to see in every difficulty a call to prayer.
Never are they to fail of consulting the great Source of all wisdom. Strengthened
and enlightened by the Master Worker, they will be enabled to stand firm
against unholy influences and to discern right from wrong, good from evil.
They will approve that which God approves, and will strive earnestly against
the introduction of wrong principles into His cause. {PK 31.3}

1 Kings 3:16-28 KJV 16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto
the king, and stood before him. 17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and
this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in
the house. 18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered,
that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger
with us in the house, save we two in the house. 19 And this woman's child
died in the night; because she overlaid it. 20 And she arose at midnight,
and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in
her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21 And when I rose in the
morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered
it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. 22 And the
other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son.
And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus
they spake before the king. 23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is
my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but
thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. 24 And the king said, Bring
me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said,
Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the
other. 26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king,
for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the
living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither
mine nor thine, but divide it. 27 Then the king answered and said, Give her
the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.

1 Kings 3:28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged;
and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him,
to do judgment.

John 8:3-11 KJV 3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman
taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto
him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses
in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus
stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard
them not. 7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and
said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone
at her. 8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 9 And they
which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by
one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone,
and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had lifted up himself,
and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine
accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus
said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.